Automatic electric barbecue and bread toaster



Marcin 79 E950 G. P. ANDREWS AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC BARBECUE AND BREAD TOASTER Filed Nov. 21, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l attorneys March 7, 1950 G. P. ANDREWS 2,499,558

AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC BARBECUE AND BREAD TOASTER med Nov. 21,1947 l2 sheets-sheet 2 attornegs Patented Mar. 7, 1.9.5

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AU'ICHVIA'IICk ELECTRIC BARBECUE AND BREAD TOASTER George P. Ahdrews, Detroit, Mich. Application. November 21, i947, serial No'. 787,324

6 Claims.' l

This invention relates to electric grills and in in particular to automatic electric grills.

One object of this invention is .to provide an automatically-timed electric grilli for cook-ing sausages such as so-called frankfurters and .also toasting buns into which the' frankfurters are' to be placed.

Another object isto provide ani electric grillof the foregoing type wherein the sausage isauto'- matically rotated on a spit for a predetermined time period While the hun is being toasted an oven, mechanism beingrprovi'ded for ail/tornati# cally shutting off the electric heating current and also for opening the oven door and ejecting the bun.

Another object is to provide anv velectric grill of the foregoing type wherein the timing mechanism for regulating the cooking period is set operation manually but is halted automatically.

Another object is to provide' anelectric grill of the foregoing type wherein mechanism isprof vided for warning the' operator when ai bread oven is empty if he attemptsto' start' cookinga sausage, so that at no time' will: the operator' inadvertentlyr prepare a sausage withoutA atl the same time preparing a bun to serve'v with the sausage.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation partly in' section of a portion of an electric cooker' according'to a preferred form of the present invention, showing only one unit and part of another unit, with cover plates removed or broken away to disclose the internal construction;

Figure 2 is a horizontal' section along' the line 2-2' in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line 3-3 in Figure 2, showing the bun toaster;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section along the line 4 4 in Figure l showing' the spit bear'- lrxg;

Figure 5 is a view similar to a portion of'Fg'- ure 2, lout showing the timing mechanism in the unlatched position of the oven door; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section througnthe clutching and timing mechanism shown in Figure 1. I

Referring to the drawing in detaiLFigures and 2 show the cooker of this inventionV generally designated I0 as consisting of severall cooking units, each generally designated Il, all of these being driven by common.mechanism.- For the purposesof the present-inventionrtherefore, |'Y

it is s'unicie'nt to illustrate and describe the low-'- ermost one of these units Il.

The 'cooker unit ll in turn consists generally of a sausage cooker' i2 and abun toaster I3 cona trolled by a timing and clutching mechanism I4. All of the cooker units' il are mounted in tiers Iupon a basev I5' having 'uprights I6 to i9 inclusive rising therefrom (Figure 2)', an additional up*- right in the upper lefthand' corner of Figure 2 being omitted from the drawing. Cover plates 29 and 21" are mounted between the u'prights" l'l and i8 and-secured' to the upright i9 respectively. 'Ihe upright HS also includes a Vertical Wall porL tion 22 which serves'p'artly to enclose the' mecha'- nism. 1

The rotating parts of the cooking units' l2', timing units hl and toasting' units' I^3 are' driven from-a common vertical shaft 23 from aneleetric motor (not shown) located within the hase i5. Mounted on the shaft 2-3f are several worms: 2'4 which meshl with worin gears' 5iii1eu'fite'd oh the ends of shafts 2t (Figure 2) journal'ed in bearing bosses 2lr fori-ming part oi` the upright i6. There is one worm` 2li-g worm gea-r' 25V and shaft f6 'fr each of the sausage cooker units' 2). nach of trie shafts 26 on its outer endis pro" ded with a head 28 containing a socket 29; The head 23 is provided with'` a reduced diameter portion? 3G up'i which is threaded' a collar 31| having arlvii-i'd entrance 32 ieaumgto a' reduced 'dia-meter bore et of square o`r other suitable cros'ssectio'nb Insertedv in the bore iilt and' niating'v therewith is the tapering' tip et of-"simiiar cross=setion to the bore 33; such asisquare, onthe'eiidfofy a sansage holding rod' 0r spitff'; The latter" near its opposite endl isz providedv with av flanged' er'ilar'ge-A ment G- which isrotata'bly mounted in' the'loivei portion 37- of notch te' (Figure c) forrhediin the uprightv i1.' The outer end'of the' holder rod 35 is provided with a handle 39'lo'yL which the Sailli-i sa'ge holder generally designated 1W may` be' madrupuiat'ea intrus manner the sausag'ehoide'r' 4u removably mounted and rotated bythe collar 3l from thefsha'ii',A 26'.' l,

Each of the sausage cookers lis provided-with an electrical heating' unit generally designated 41 (Figure 2)', the latter being' mounted in, a nous; ing e3 withy perforatins't'e"forrelasin'g.tn'nat The housing 43' is provided with'sp'aced anees 45and 4S by whichit's'secured'by screws'` 'ft; the uprights 1'6" and l'iresp'ectively.` Mounted upon ain insuiator aswitr'un the" nous'mgsfis" electricalgresistance heating. element 119, the op--Ml posite ends ofwhich are led` out to upper and lower terminals or binding posts 50 and 5| respectively.

Connected to the upper terminal 50 of the heat unit 4| is a conductor 52 (Figures 1 and 2) which leads to a source of electricity, such as house lighting circuit. Leading from the lower terminal 5| to one pole 53 of a mercury switch 54 (Figure 1) is a conductor 55. Leading from the opposite pole 56 of the mercury switch 54 is a, conductor 51 which likewise leads to a source of electric current. Leading from the conductors 52 and 55 are branch conductors 58 and 59 which in turn lead to the terminals 60 and 6I of a connection plug 62 (Figure 2). The insulator 48 is preferably of so-called electro-asbestos, hollowed out to receive the heating element 49.

The terminals 60 and 8| t over and engage prongs 63 and 64 which are connected to leads coming from the opposite ends of an electrical resistance heating element 65. The latter is mounted upon supports 66 (Figure 3) which in turn are seated in an insulating plate 61. A perforated guard plate 68 of V-shaped cross-section in its central portion (Figure 3) arches over the heating element 65 and has its edges bent around the insulating plate 61.

The insulating plate 61 and the bent edges of the guard 68 are clamped together by channel bars 69 mounted on angle brackets 10. The channel bars 69 also engage the flanged lower edge 1I of an approximately semi-cylindrical oven casing 12 which arches over the heating unit 65 and guard 68. Mounted upon the horizontal portions of the guard 68 is an elongated rack 13 of V-shaped cross-section (Figure 3) having uprights 14 interconnected by horizontal wires or rods 15. The bun B to be toasted is split lengthwise and placed on this rack within the oven or bun toaster I3. The angle brackets are secured as at 16 to an angle shelf 11 (Figure 3) which in turn is secured as at 18 to the uprights I8 and I9.

The oven casing 12 is held in position (Figure 2) by a cross bar 12a which rests against lugs 69a extending upward from the rearward ends of the channel bars 69. The oven casing 12 is closed at its rearward end but provided with an opening 19 at its forward end to receive a swinging door 80. The latter is provided with ears 8| pivotally engaging brackets 82 extending horizontally from the upright I9, pivot pins 83 forming the pivotal connection (Figure 2). A door 80 is provided with a knob 84 by which it may be opened manually and is also provided with a iiange 85 fitting within the opening 19 and having an aperture 86 therein engaged by the beveled end of a latch bolt 81. Inserted through a slot 88 in the upright I8 is the stem 89 of a knob 90, the stem' 89 being threaded into a threaded hole 9|.

The outer end of the latch bolt 81 is provided with a rod 92 which is encircled by a compression spring 93 and passes through a hole 94 in an angle bracket 95 which is secured as at 96 (Figure 1) to the upright I8. The bracket 95 is provided with a horizontal extension 91 in the form of a shelf which is bored and threaded to receive the threaded lower end of a vertical stud 98. Pivotally mounted on the stud 98 is a latch operating lever 99 one end of which is slotted as at |00 to receive the rod 92, the latter at its outer end being threaded to receive an adjusting nut I0|. The opposite end |02 of the latch-operating lever 99 extends into proximity with cam-operated timing and clutching mechanism I4 de- 4 scribed below. This mechanism I4 is in part actuated by a stationary cam portion |03 (Figure l) which extends downward from the outer end of the bracket 95 and has an incline |03a.

Returning to the bun-toaster or oven I3, the casing 12 thereof is provided at its top with a groove |04 extending lengthwise, in which a rod |05 is reciprocably mounted. The forward end |06 of the rod |05 passes through an aperture |01 (Figure 2) in the oven casing I2 and is rounded to engage the edge of the door ilange 85 so as to be pushed rearwardly when the door is closed and latched in the position shown in Figure 2. When the rod |05 is pushed rearwardly in this manner, it compresses a coil spring |08 (Figure 1) which is mounted in an alcove |69 of the oven casing 12, the rod |05 carrying an L-shaped bun ejector bracket ||0 which not only serves to eject the bun when the door is opened, but also serves to compress the spring |08. The spring |08 is seated against a hollow screw plug III which is bored for the passage of the rod |05. The rod |05 is encircled by a cushion spring I|2 and terminates in a head ||3. Secured to the forward portion of the ejector bracket ||0 is an inverted V-shaped ejector ||4 (Figure 3) which straddles the V-shaped bun rack 13 and guard 08. Also mounted on the rod |05 and pinned or otherwise firmly secured thereto is a contact or pusher block IIS (Figures 1 and 2) which makes contact with one end of a lever ||6 (Figure 3) which is pivotally mounted upon a stud ||1 threaded into a hole I| 8 in an angle bracket |I9, the angle bracket ||9 being secured as at |20 to the upright I8. The opposite end of the lever I I6 is provided with a reduced diameter portion |2| of circular crosssection which engages and actuates a portion of the timing and clutching mechanism I4.

The timing and clutching mechanism I4 is driven from a bevel pinion |22 (Figure l) which is keyed or otherwise secured to the vertical motor-driven shaft 23. The bevel pinion |22 meshes with a bevel gear |23 (Figure 2) which is keyed to the forward end of a shaft |24. The latter is journaled in spaced bracket portions |25 and |26 mounted on a bracket |21 which is secured as at |28 to the upright I6. Keyed to the shaft |24 or integral therewith is a worm |29 which meshes with a worm gear |30.

The worm gear |30 is pinned or keyed to the rearward end of a shaft 3| which is journaled at its rearward end in a boss |32 on the bracket |21 and at its forward end in a bracket portion I33 (Figure 1) depending from the angle shelf 11 (Figure 3). Pinned to the forward end of the shaft I3I is a bevel pinion |34 which meshes with a bevel gear |35 pinned to a vertical shaft |36 which is journaled in the shelves 11 (Figure l). Pinned to the shaft |38 is a crown clutch member |31 having notches |38 adapted to be engaged by a pair of teeth or pins |39 projecting axially from the hub |40 of a rotary cam |4I. The cam |4| has an axial hump or lobe |42 with an incline |43, a flat portion |44 and an upstanding portion |45 (Figures l, 2 and 5). The cam portion |03 on the bracket 95 is located in such a position that it engages the incline |43 and at portion |44 (Figure 5), whereas the upstanding portion |45 is in a position to engage the end |02 of the latch-operating lever 99,

Secured as at |46 to the hub |40 of the cam |4| is one end of a flexible cable |41 which passes around the hub |40 and is secured at its opposite end |48 (Figure 2) to a hollow drum or spool i49 allegorie 5. having a coil spring |50 secured atvit's -outer end to the drum |45 and at its inner end toa stationary stud The springI drum |49 and cable |41 serve to return the cam |4| to its starting position when the pins |39 are disengaged from the notches |38, as explained in connection with the operation thereof. rilhe stud |5| is threaded into a post or boss |52 which rises from the shelf 11 (Figure l).

The hub |55 is provided with an annular'groove |53 (Figure 6)A which is shaped to receive a collar |54 held in assembly therewith by a retaining ring |55 threaded onto the lower end of the hub |40. Mounted in the collar |54 and projecting radially outward therefrom in opposite directions are two pins |55 which engage slots |51 in the yoke portion v|56 of a hand lever |59 (Figures 1, 2 and 3). The' hand lever |59 is pivotally mounted upon a stud |65 which isthreaded into an upstanding ear or boss |6| (Figure 1). The hand lever |59 at its forward end is provided with a ball or other handle i6? by which it may be shifted manually. Extending upward from and rigidly connected to or integral with the hand lever |59 is a vertical arm |63, the upper end of which is provided with a slot 564 through which the reduced diameter portion |2| of the lever ||6 is inserted.

Extending outward from the collar |54 are spaced ears |55 (Figures 1 and 3) through which a pin |56 passes. The pin |65 extends through a slot |61 in the forward end of a rocking lever |68 which is pivotally mounted on a stud |69 threaded into a boss |19 projecting upward from the shelf 11. The forward end of the rocking lever |68 is inserted between the ears |65 whereas to the rearward end are attached spaced spring clips or clamps lll. These clamps |1| yieldingly engage the tube |12 of the mercury switch 54 and hold it in position. i

In the operation of the invention, the machine is loaded by removing the holders 46 and impaling a frankfurter or other sausage S thereon. The holder 49 is then replaced in the machine in the position shown in Figure 2, with the pointed tip 3ft passing throughthe squared aperture 33 and the portion 36 resting in the bottom 31 of the notch 38. 1n this manner, each of the holders 45 is loaded and inserted in the machine. The buns B into which the cooked sausages are to be inserted are split lengthwise bymeans of a knife or other suitable implement, and are then inserted into the bun 'toasters |3 byretracting the latch knobs 90 and opening the doors 39. The buns Bare placed upon the racks 13 in inverted positions as shown in Figure 3, after which the doors 6G are closed and latched by means of the latches 61 entering the apertures 86 (Figure 2).

The rnc-tor (not shown) which drives the shaft 23 is then placed in operation and the knobsA 63 of the hand levers |59 are pulled downward. As the shaft 23 rotates, i-tcauses-*rotation of the holders 4|) and hence' the sausages S, and tlso causes rotation of theverticallfshaft |36. The swinging of the knobs |62 downward pushes the collars |54y upward7 and with them the hubs |40 of the cams lili. This action causes the pins |39 to enter the nearest notches |38 of the crown clutch member |31, causing the cam |4| to rotate. The same action rocks the lever |68 (Figure 1), tilting the mercury switch 54 so that the mercury M therein flows along the tube |12 thereof to electrically interconnect the electrodes 53 and 56. This action energizes the heating elements or units 49 and 65 of the sausage cooker |2 and bun 6 Itoaster I3 respectively, causing them vtcgive off heat and cook the sausages S and toast the buns B.

Meanwhile, the rotation of the shaft |36 and clutch member |31 rotates the cam |4| by the engagement of the pins |39 in the notches |38 until the cam |4| rotates to the point where the incline |43 thereof passes beneath -the stationary cam portion |03 of the bracket 95. The cam portion |03 pushes the carn |4| downward (Figure 5) as the inclined portion |43 passes Vunder the stationary cam portion |03 until the level or flat portion |44 is reached, by which time the pins |39 are pushed entirely out of the notches |38, severing the driving connection between the cam |4I and the rotating shaft |36.

In the meantime, however, the upstanding portion |45 of the cam |4| has engaged the-rearward end of the latch-operating lever 99 (Figure 5), shifting the latter and thereby retracting the latch bolt 81 from the position `shown in Figure 2 to that shown in Figure 5. Impelled by the spring |09 and the push rod |05, the door of each bun toaster |3 flies op-en. The bun ejector ||4 under the urge of the spring |68 then ejects each bun B part way out of its oven 12. As the push rod |05 approaches the end of its forward stroke, the cushion spring 2 engages the rearward end of the screw plug and cushions the shock.

The rotation of the hub |40 of the cam |4| winds up the cable |41 up-on the hub |40, unwinding the cable |41 from the drum |49 and winding up the spring |50 therein. When the cam |4| is forced downward in the manner just described, the disengagement of the pins |39 from the notches |38 leaves the hub |50 free to rotate loosely upon the shaft |36. The wound-up spring |50 within the drum |49 then winds the cable |41 thereon and unwinds it from the hub |40, rotating the cam |4| clockwise back to its starting position, ready for the commencement of a new cycle. As the collar |54 is moved downward along with the cam |4| by the stationary cam portion |03 of the bracket 95, the rock lever |68 is rocked about its pivot stud |69 into the position shown in Figure 1. This tilts the mercury switch 54 upward, causing the mercury M therein to run downhill so as to electrically disconnect the switch electrodes 56 and 53. The heating elements 49 and 65 of the sausage cookers |2 and bun toasters I3 are thus cie-energized', terminating the cooking and toasting respectively. The operator then removes the cooked sausages and the toasted buns B and assembles them in the usual way, reloading the machine in the manner described above. The machine is then ready for restarting merely by p'ulling down the knobs |62 of the hand levers |59, and the foregoing cycle is repeated.

The vertical arm |63 of the hand lever |59 serves as an additional safety device by positively insuring that the collar |54 will be forced downward a sufficient distance. This is accomplished by the engagement of the block ||5 (Figures 2 and 3) with the end of the lever ||6 as the rod |05 is moved forward when the latch r bolt 81 releases the door 80. The engagement of the reduced diameter portion |2| of the lever ||6 with the slot |64 forcibly swings the arm |63 to the left and consequently shifts the collar |54 downward through the engagement of the pin and slot connection |56, |51 (Figure 1).

What I claim is:

1. An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly engaging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster having a bread support and a bread ejector movable relatively thereto to eject bread therefrom, a power source, mechanism drivngly connecting said power source to said rotator and including a clutch, and a timing device responsive to the expiration of a predetermined period of time for disengaging said clutch, de-energizing said heater and toaster, said timing device at the expiration of its time period effecting actuation of said bread ejector to eject the bread from said toaster.

2, An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly engaging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster, a power source, mechanism drivingly connecting said power source to said rotator and including a clutch, said toaster having a movable access door, a door opening device engaging and urging said door toward its open position and a timing device responsive to the expiration of a predetermined period of time for disengaging said clutch, deenergizing said heater and toaster said timing device at the expiration of its time period effecting operation of said door opening device to open said door.

3. An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly engaging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster, a power source, mechanism drivingly connecting said power source to said rotator and including a clutch, said toaster having a. movable access door, a yielding element resiliently urging said door into its open position, a latch engaging said door, and a timing device responsive to the expiration of a predetermined period of time for disengaging said clutch, deenergizing said heater and toaster, said timing device at the expiration of said time period effecting retraction of said latch to open said door.

4. An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly enga-ging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster having a bread support thereon, a power source, mechanism drivngly connecting said power source to said rotator and including a clutch, said toaster having a movable access door, a yielding element resiliently urging said door into its open position, said yielding element having a bread ejector connected thereto, and movable relatively to said bread support to eject bread therefrom, and a timing device responsive to the expiration of a predetermined period of time for disengaging said clutch, de-energizing 8 said heaterv and toaster, said timing device at the expiration of said time period effecting release of said ejector to eject the bread from said toaster.

5. An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly engaging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster, a power source, said toaster having a movable access door, a yielding element resiliently urging said door into its open position, a rotary shaft operatively connected to said power source and including a clutch, a movable latch device releasably holding said door in its closed position, and a cam operatively connected to said clutch and operatively engageable with said latch device to release the same, said cam being responsive to a predetermined rotation of said shaft to disengage said clutch and shift said latch device and effect opening of said door by said yielding element.

6. An automatic sausage and bread cooker comprising a frame structure, a sausage holder rotatably mounted on said structure, a sausage holder rotator drivngly engaging said sausage holder, an electric sausage heater, an electric bread toaster, a power source, said toaster having a movable access door, a yielding element resiliently urging said door into its open position, a rotary shaft operatively connected to said power source and including a clutch, a movable latch device releasably holding said door in its closed position, a movable bread ejector movably mounted on said bread toaster for motion relatively to said bread support and engageable with the door thereof, said ejector being held in its retracted position by said door in the closed position thereof, a cam operatively connected to said clutch and operatively engageable with said latch device to release the same, said cam being responsive to a predetermined rotation of said shaft to disengage said clutch and shift said latch device to release said door and consequently to release said bread ejector to eject the bread from said toaster.

GEORGE P. ANDREWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

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